Variable-speed gear shift



Jah; 3, rzs. 1,654,879

l. B. HOROWITZ VARIABLE SPEED GEAR SHIFT Filed March 10. 1924 Pig; 3

. lnvwtto C20-aac L mom with slots or grooves in the other member to tion of the coupling or shift gear.

"to its shaft. Voperation isv effected by moving one of the.

Patented Jan. 3, 192s. f

UNITE-D -sTArEs FICE.

Isaac n. nonowrrz, or NEW You, n'. Y.

vernam-smv om Application ld Iaich 10, 1924. Seri-al No. 697,997.

hicles and morekparticularly to a gear-set of the yselective sliding-gear type in which the various speed combinations are produced `without the clashing-of ears. v

-The invention inclu es a gear-set con-- struction in which the various interengaging gears are maintained constantly in mesh and in which certain of theV gears are per-x .initted to rotate idly on the shaft under certain desired speed conditions and are coupled to the shaft under otherdesired speed conditions. The coupling operation referred to is preferably accomplis ed through the use of suitable locking elementssuch as pins or pawls on one member Ycooperating bring about the desired locking of the. gear The coupling or uncoupling gears, which may be appropriately referred to as the coupling or shift gear, longltudlnally of its shaft to thereby bringthe lock- .ing elements into or out of lookin relation' tothe slots. In order to prevent isengagement of the intermediate pair of gears in the movement of the coupling or` shift gear, the

- other gear has a suiciently greater width axially 'to maintain the desired constantly meshed engagement regardless of the posi- Another feature of the vention resides in the provision of noiselesss non-metallic gear sections which are engaged in the idle condition of the respective pairs of gears. This structural feature eliminates the grinding noise that would be present in a transmission inwhich all gears are constantly mashed and in motion, while thel constant meshing of gears does away withthe noisy and harmful clashing that takes place during unsuccessful attempts at speed changing. In the drawings in which a preferred' embodiment of the invention has been selected for illustration, p K f Figure 1 isN a view partially in plan and partially in horizonthl section of a selective gear-set embodying the invention.-

Figure 2 l'is a fragmentary view of a gearset showing .another embodiment of the in- `vention.4

fied formof invention; f v

Figure 4fis a view similar to Figure 8. showing s till "another form of coupling means thatmay be used as part of the invention. Figure` 5 is a' fragmentary sectional view showing another form of gear that may be used with the invention.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed descriptionof the invention, a gearset is shown in Figure l jof the general type used to form part of a transmission system for motor vehicles. The gear-set shown in` @ludos-constantly driven clutchshaft' 310, a counter `shaft 11' and a main or driving shaft 12. The driving shaft 12 and the in the usual vconstruction and the -counter shaft 11 is provided with gears 13, 14 and 15 Figure 3 is a.y detail' view showing a modicoupling means includedin the v 7o u counter shaft 11 are parallel to eachother as mounted to rotate constantly. therewith, the

Igearf13 being in constant engagement with a driving gear 16 mounted on the end of theclutch shaft 10 which forms a ,driving shaft for the entire assembly.

The counter' shaftY gear` 14 is in constant meshing engagement 'with a gear 17 on the main shaft 10 and provides an intermediate speed 'driving connection between the counter shaftll and the main shaft 12. In like manner the counter shaft gear 15 forms a ,driving connection with the gear v18 on the main shaft 12 and provides a low gear connectionstherewithl A reverse gear connecwhich is maintained between the respective ,pairs of gears referred to during all condition vis provided through a gear 19 -on the- V tions of operation. This arrangement, by

.. which the objectionable Vclashing of gears which is characteristic of selective transmission gear-sets heretofore known, is eliminated, is provided by so mounting thecvariv ous driven gears 'on the main shaft 12 that 100 I they are permitted to rotate idlyon the shaft when the particular speed combination for which lthey are designed is not desired. This is effected by mounting the driven gears 17, 18 and 21 on the main shaft 12 in such manner that they. are free to rotateidly onl the shaft except when coupled thereto by locking means which may take various forms within the limits of the invention.-

In Figure lllof the drawing the locking means referred to takes the form of radially movable pin element 22 mounted to slide Vthrough hubs or collars 23 mounted on the ends of the respective gears and to register with suitabelnotches 24 formed in the shaft 12 at the necessary positions tol bring about the desired-locking. engagement ofthe respective pairs of gears to effect the.desired speed condition. f

Means are provided for moving the driven may linclude' any desired connection be-4 tween a hand operating lever and circumi ferentiallyv grooved collar /provided on the main shaft 12 to Athereby producethe' each gear mounted onthe main shaft 12.

In order to permit of movement of thedriven gears 17 18 or 21 longitudinally of coupling .or uncoupling function referred to without bringing about a disengagement of the teeth of the mutually engaging gears, the driving gears 14', 15 and 19 on the counter shaft 11 are formed'with an axial ,widthgreater than that of the width of the driven gears '17, 18 and 21. By this"arrangement it will be seen that movement of the driven i gears 17, 18 and 21 intocouplin or uncoupling relation. to the .main s ha t`12 can y be'efl'ected without. moving the teethA of the driven gears out of'engagement with the. teeth of the driving gears onthe shaft 11.

Another feature of thef'inventionv resides in'the use of non-metallic noise-preventing material for the construction of the sections lof the drivin-g gears 14, 15 and 19 which are in engagementwith the vdriven gears 17, 18 and 21 when the driven gears are 1n uncoupled oridle relation to the main shaft. 12. In other words, leach of the drivingl gears 14 and 15 is provided with a metallic section 26 which-is engaged by the corre-,4 Sp'onding drivens ea'when the driven gear.

1s in coupled re ation to the main shaft, whilel the othersections 27 of the'driving .66 .gears which are in meshing engagement with the. driven gears during the idle rotation thereof are formed of any suitable nonmetallic material such as rawhide, fabric,l

phenolic .condensation products or the like.

A similar relation obtains between the.

driving gear 16 mounted on the clutch shaft 1() andthe driven gear 13 mounted on the counter shaft 11 except that the driving .i

gear 16 is keyed tothe shaft 10 so that it always ,rotates with the rotation of the shaft 10. However', the gear. 16 is movable longi-l tudinally ofA the shaft -10 to bring the lockl ing pins 22 carried thereby into or out of driving relation to the notches 24 formed in the .adjacent end l 12. It. will bessen. that when the locking gaged with the notches 24 vin lthe shaftv 12 of `the main drive shaft,

pins22 of the driving gear-16 are thus en-.

that a dire'ct driving relation is attained between ithe clutch shaft 10 andthe mainfshaft 12, this relation being the hlgh speed combination ofthe gear-set construction@s The gear 13 is also provided with a me"' -tallic section 26 and a non-metallic section 27 as is the case with gearsh14 andy 15 on the counter shaft 11 and also plnifn 20.

By this arrangement it will be seen that' -when 'thef y driving gear 1'6 is withdrawn from couple Jrelation'to the 4mainjshaft 12 vit is brought into engagementl with the metallic portion 2 6. ofthe driven gear 13. i

"In .order to effect an economy of space andl thereby restrict the size ofthe transmission case 28 which is used to house the gear-set parts, I contemplate the use of4 a single gear movingfork or member 29 cooperating with a sleeve or'othemember 30 connecting a pair of ldriven gears 31 and 32'as in Figure' 2 of the draw ing.- The sleeve 30 while maintaining raiconstant space relation between the 'pairof driven gears 'permits relative rotative movement of the gearsw-ithfrespectto this sleeve and tofeach other as will be clear.

Figure2 are provided with a non-metallic It will Vbe seen that the driving gears '33* A and used in the construction shown in section 35 of increased width over that f the corresponding sections 27 lshown in Figure 1 of the-drawing. Ihe

urpose 'of this isi,

as `will be' seen, to provide for ,the-v simul-v i taneous disengagement of both driven- Agears 31 and' 32 with theishaftl 36 on which they are mounted. s

Other 'means' than the pin 22 andslot 24 sconn'ection may be provided for llocking the gears to their'shafts'. For instance in Fig. ure 3. of the drawing a set of pivoted pawi 1 orvdog members 38 is provided which are hinged to swin'g about vaxes transverse to theaxis of the gearand into and out'of engagementwith the notches in the shaft. In

Figure 4 of the drawing still another form of locking means is shown which consists A' of .pivoted p'awl or dog members 39 mounted to swing about axes parallelv to the axes of the gear as indicated. Preferably in all the forms of' looking means shown 4spring members 40 are provided for pressing the loc-king pins or pawls'into lthe slots 24 in the shaft.

It Vwill be seen that the slots -have a spoon orcurved formation' at their ends to facilimagere.

tate the movement of the locking members out of the slots when the gears are shifted to uncoupled position.

In ordery to obviate Wear on the shaft 12 through the idle rotation thereon of the driven gear, I contemplatethe use of sleeve or bushlng members 41 as shown in Figure 2 which may be laced in the appropriate positions on the s aft and replaced when they have become worn, as required.. y

v While I have referred to the use of a metal section and a non-metal'section in the widefaced gears on the counter shaft, I wish to have it understood that. the wide gears may be formed wholly of metal for heavy duty vehicles, and also that Wide gears made wholly of non=metallic material may be employed where circumstances make the use of such material desirable. I contemplate also the use of gears whose body portion Vis lformed of metal, as`at 42 in Figure 5, forming a support or reinforcement for non-metallic material 43 used toy face the gears and having meshing engagement with the associated gears. y

I further Wish to have it understood that while I prefer to have one gear wider -than the corresponding gear with which it is in mesh for the purpose of reducing the contacting surface and thereby reduce friction at all times, that this is not an indispensible condition, and that both driven and driving gears may have a width sufficient to keep them in constant mesh when either one of the gears is shifted into locked or unlocked condition in relation to its shaft I also wish to have it understood that either the driving i or the driven gear may have a metallic and a non-metallicsection and, in'the latter case, of course, the metallic section bemg in mesh with the corresponding metallic section 'when in driving position and the non-metallic section being in mesh with a non-metallic section in the idling position.

'AWhatIclaimiszf l" 1. In a variable speed gear set, a pair` of intermeshing gears, one of saidsgea-i's being, movable along lts shaft and arranged to rotate idly on the shaft in one ofthe positions to `whichit may befmovcd, means carried y bg' said gear and movable with relationt .er

eto for interlocking the gear directly with the shaft in another position ofthe gear, and the other gear having an axial vvldthl suflicient to` remain in meshing engagement withthe axially movable gearA in ,all the positions to which said gear maybe moved.

- 2. In a variable speed gear set, a pair o fintermeshing gears, the driven gear .of said pair being movable along its shaft and arranged to rotate idly on the shaft inv one of the positions to which it may be"moved, means carried by the gear and movable withrelation thereto for interlocking the gear gear, and the driving gear having an axial width sucient `to remain in meshing engagement with the driven gear in all the positlons to .which thev 'driven gear may be moved. A 3. In a variable speed ear set, a pair of intermeshing gears, one 0% said gears being movable along its shaft and arranged to rotate idly on the shaft in one of the positions to which it ma be moved, radlally movablev means carried7 by the gear for cou"- vwith the shaft in another position lof the pling the gear to the shaft in one of the positions to which the gear can be moved, and the other gear havinga width sufficient to remain in meshing engagement with the driven .gear

in all the positions to which the driven gear u `may be moved.

4. In a variable speed gear-set for motor vehicles, a air of intermeshing gears, one of said gears eing movable along its shaft and arranged to rotate idl on the shaft in one of the lpositions to wlnch it may be moved,-

vehicles, a clutch shaft, a main drive shaft journaled in the end of the clutch shaft, a gear mounted on thel end ofthe clutch shaft for rotation therewith, said. ear having a splined connection withV said s aft for longitudinal movement thereon, means for interlockin the gear with the adjacent end of the main drive shaft in one of the positions of .the gear to thereby couple the clutch shaft and themain drive shaft together, va countershaft adapted to be driven by. said gear, and a giear on the counter-Shaft meshlng with sai gear on the clutchshaft in both the locked and the 'unlockedvcondition of the an'axial width sufiicent lusv lclutch Shaft gearwiththe main drive "shaftg,

I 6. InL a variable speed gear-set for motor vehicles, a clutch-shaft, a main drive shaft journaled in the end of the clutch shaft, a gear mounted on the end ,of the clutch. shaft for rotation therewith, said ear-having ab splined connection with said s aft for longitudinal movement thereon, a counter shaft,

gear connections between the 'counter shaft -and the drive shaft, fa vdriven gear on the counter shaft inmeshing'enga ement with the gear on 'the clutch'shaft, sait? -forinterlocking the driven gear'.-` i 'havmg'a width sucient to remain' in mesh-.1,-

gear V01.1 the :clutch 'shaft with adjeceht endof the main drive shatt in one of the positions thereof to ythereby couple the clutch shaft andthe main drive shafttogether 5 and said drivemgear on the ounter shaft bein formed of metal in the `portion engagf ,A

ing t e clutch shaft gear in' lthe indirect drive I'Joeition thereof materiel inJthe .gorton enga shaft gear in t o f non-metalli 'ngthe clutch ereof wherein 10 ed formed e pqsvition t the gear. is interlocked-'with the main drive shaft.

yISAAC B. HOROWITZ. 

